Is there a better way to remove a poison oak plant than with a chainsaw?

[homeowner]

Hey, I'n going to give the rock salt a try. It's cheaper than diesel fuel too, and probably is safer for the environment.

[Kay Lancaster]

In the PNW, you can rent goats for blackberry control, along with sections of portable chainlink fence.

about power pruners like: the pro versions?

Do you know about Technu IvyBlock and Technu Extreme?

A friend who is exquisitely sensitive to poison oak/ivy/sumac swears by it.

Kay

[David Kaye]

"Robert Macy" wrote

Sheep also eat poison oak, and you can also clip them and sell their wool. California has many shepherds who use them for exactly this kind of thing.

[David Kaye]

"Danny D." wrote

Look for someone who rents out goats or sheep and have them come by and eat the poison oak. Seriously. They love the stuff.

[Robert Macy]

arrrggg! what did I do to deserve this punishment?

[Robert Macy]

Is there a market for that product?

[krw]

That's probably why woody plant herbicide works better. ;-)

[krw]

suck up the "soap" when they're running at pressure? Every one I've seen will only draw from the tank when it's running very low pressure (won't spray very far). OTOH, they do sell 20' extensions for pressure sprayers.

[krw]

I love work. I can sit around and watch it all day.

[Brooklyn1]

There are similar cutters that mount on small tractors, that's how roadway shoulders are cleared of heavy brush... they're called "flail mowers". From your pictures it appears one could easily clear your property down to stumps with a small tractor with a cab (for protection) and a brush hog... my set up can clear your property an acre an hour. Once cut treat the stubs with defolient, I'd use a hand sprayer.

[Brooklyn1]

I buy water softener salt at Lowe's, 40 pounds/$4... rock salt costs even less. The salt does no permanent damage and in fact the critters use it for a salt lick. After about a year the salt dilutes from precipitation as though you never placed it there.

[Stormin Mormon]

Sorry, I do like word play, now and again.

Back to helping Danny think about his poison oak growth. I think he's taken on a MAJOR huge task.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

.

arrrggg! what did I do to deserve this punishment?

[krw]

kid clean up some vines in the back yard. Nothing I hadn't done but I didn't recognize the PI, either. I have never had a reaction to PI, though I've never been one to tempt fate. He got a little rash but my wife just touched his clothes, taking them from the floor and putting them directly in the washer, came down with blister from head to toe. She was one hurtin' pup for weeks.

Some time later I hired a handyman to cut down a tree by the road. We knew it was loaded with PI, but he said it didn't bother him. Well maybe it never had, but it sure did that time. He was in the emergency room shortly after. Did I say that *I* didn't play with the stuff. ;-)

[Stormin Mormon]

Someone years ago used to sell snake venom. I have suggested to sell Urishol to the military, they can spray it on enemy encampments.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

.

Is there a market for that product?

[David L. Martel]

Danny,

I hope you are using Ivy Block or something similar. .

Dave M.

[Danny D.]

Understood. They clear the roads out here all the time with a five foot wide cutter than arcs high and can get behind the guardrails (banging them up in the process).

That WOULD work for the part that I just cleared, but not for the part deep down in the ravine 100 feet below (which is inaccessible to tractors AFAIK).

Probably not in my budget though. :(

[Danny D.]

I don't mind battling poisonous plants any more than I mind winding torsion springs, but, I do try to know thine enemy thoroughly, and one problem I have in spades is decontamination of something invisible, yet toxic.

To that end, I was just made aware of the most fantastic reliable reference on the net for battling toxic Pacific Poison Oak in the field!

United States Patent 4,594,239, to Pluim, Jr., on June 10, 1986 Titled: Method for neutralizing offensive chemicals

Urushiol causes dermatitis by changing the surface proteins in the skin so the body no longer recognizes the skin as human, and attacks it.

That effect is actually fairly easy to interfere with. Pretty much any change to the urushiol molecule would probably prevent dermatitis.

Chlorine bleach is a strong oxidizing agent, and should easily do the trick. Getting it into the oil would be aided by adding alcohol or acetone as a wetting agent, but a strong surfactant should also work.

The patent prefers a solution of acetone + butyl acetate + trichloroisocyanuric acid for neutralizing urushiol on skin, clothes, and equipment; but if I preferentially select just the common household chemicals discussed, the patent seems says that 2% to 6% common bleach alone or combined with 5% to 20% rubbing alcohol (or acetone) as a wetting agent will neutralize urushiol in about 1 minute.

The patent even explains how adding certain ferrous compounds will actually make the toxic urushiol glow green, while the decontaminated urushiol will not.

Armed with this information, I can create a decontamination mix out of the prescribed pool chemicals and rubbing alcohol, which I can use to wash my face, hands, neck, ears, and wrists every 15 minutes, while removing the poison oak in the field!

[Danny D.]

I could not figure out HOW to get the pressure washer to suck a fluid out of an external tank (i.e., a soap tank).

Clearly my Honda pressure washer has a mechanism for sucking up the fluid as shown in the picture - but I've never done it.

Q: What do I have to do to a pressure washer to make it suck from the soap tank? Is there a valve or setting I have to twist or turn?

[Danny D.]

If there is, let me know 'cuz I have enough urushiol sap to contaminate everyone on earth very many times over!

[Brooklyn1]

You don't need to buy, you can rent. But I were you I'd contract with a local land clearing company... since it appears that you really need to get the job done it pays to have the pros do it... they have the equipment and the know how. Often attempting such jobs oneself the cheap turns out expensive. You might be pleasantly surprised to find out having the pros do it doesn't cost as much as you may think. Get some estimates, that's also a great way to learn some good ways to approach your problem from folks who actually know. I know that it can be very tough on certain people's egos but there are some jobs one shouldn't do themselves, from what I can see I think this is such a job. Were it my property I'd have the company that removes trees for me do that job, they'd arrive with a small crew (maybe four men), in no time all that heavy brush would go into their heavy shredder, it would get trucked to a dump site. Then they'd come in and till and power rake your entire field. In practically no time all your problems would be over and you'd have nice fresh land to do with as you will. I don't remember seeing where you mention how much land is involved (acres?), I'm guestimating from your pictures that job will cost you about $1,000, well worth it. Jobs like yours are almost all labor, there are no materials involved like when putting in a gravel roadway... only material for your job is like $100 diesel. Either of these companys can do your job, I've used both several times each, both are very reliable and honest. If all you want is to remove the brush contact LB, if you want to remove the brush and totally improve the topography contact Maggio: